


Tails At Sea

by Angelofmusic46



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe- Mermaid/pirate, F/M, Hak is part of the Pirates of Awa, I'm sorry if this is terrible, Instead of the humans having dragon warriors the mermaids do oh boy, M/M, The violence warning is there because someone gets badly injured, They've converted me to JaeSoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-05-25 12:36:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14977286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelofmusic46/pseuds/Angelofmusic46
Summary: Hak falls of the ship one night during a storm and is rescued by a mysterious red-haired mermaid.  His best friend Jae-ha has a similar story to share.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First Akatsuki no Yona fic, and I've been dying to write this AU! I hope you enjoy!

The sun sank low over the horizon, painting the sky and sea a brilliant crimson. The waves rocked the ship gently as Hak leaned over the railing, enjoying the view.  
The crew of pirates was celebrating tonight. They had successfully captured a human-trafficking vessel, sinking the ship, returning the girls to their families, and dumping the criminals in prison. The alcohol was flowing steadily now, and most of the crew was half drunk.

“Hak! What’s happening?” His friend Jae-ha slurred, throwing his arm around Hak’s shoulders and shoving his cup of sake into his face, “you want some of this?”

Hak wrinkled his nose and pushed Jae-ha’s hand away.

“No thanks, Droopy Eyes, I’ve had enough. Besides, someone has to get your obnoxious ass to bed later.”

“Suit yourself,” Jae-ha knocked back the rest of his drink, “but the only way I’m going to bed is if a pretty face was taking me, not your ugly mug.”

“Really? Who was said to be able to kill a lady with one look?”

“Whatever. But who says I’m sleeping tonight? We won a great victory tonight, my friend; we’ll be partying all night!”

“Yeah, but I heard reports of a big storm tonight, and I don’t want you accidentally taking a dip.”

Jae-ha waved him off.

“I’ll be fine, it probably won’t be too bad. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my glass is empty,” he bounded off and joined the rest of the crew.

Hak really didn’t want to spoil the celebration for his friends, he just didn’t want them to get hurt. Gods, he worried too much.

He turned back to the ocean. He loved being a pirate. He loved the adventure, the freedom, and the chance to do some good in the world by helping take down Yang Kum-ji’s human trafficking ring. Captain Gi-gan was the best captain he ever worked for, and the crew was truly a family.

He looked over his shoulder at Jae-ha, who had pulled off his boots and was showing off the green dragon tattoo that spiraled down his right leg. Let them have their fun, they deserved it.

But right now, as much as he wanted to stay up and drink, Hak had to turn in at some point and be ready for the next fight. Time to get some rest.

*****

He woke up some time later to the sound of pouring rain. It seemed the storm wasn’t as bad as he thought, perfect for a late night walk. He pulled on a shirt and tugged on a pair of boots, trying to fight the slight headache that was forming. Sure, he was a little buzzed, but he didn’t expect that to turn into a full-blown hangover.

Outside his cabin, he heard chatter and laughter coming from the barracks. Good thing the weather didn’t stop the party.

The light rain soothed his heated face as he gazed up at the moon. Its soft rays illuminated the rolling waves and caused the ship to sway slightly. Hak stayed away from the side, since he had warned Jae-ha about falling overboard, and the deck was slick with water.

Suddenly dark clouds blocked out the moonlight and the rain poured harder. The wind picked up as well and caused the ship to buck and sway. Hak stumbled back to the door and grabbed the railing to balance himself. Some barrels broke loose form their bindings and tumbled towards him. They knocked against him and send him hurdling over the side.

“Ah, shit.”

Hak fell face first into the swirling waters. He attempted to right himself and swim towards the surface, but the ocean pushed him father into the depths and his boots weighed him down. He was rapidly losing air, and he slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing he felt was a pair of arms wrapping around his waist.

*****

The sun shone bright into Hak’s closed eyes, and he lifted his hand to shield them. He rolled over and coughed the water out of his lungs onto the sand. He groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

“How did I get here?”

It seemed he had washed up on the beach of Awa, although the ship was miles away when the storm hit. Was he simply driven here by the tides?

“Hello?”

He heard nothing but the waves lapping at his boots. Hak stood up and looked around. If he was just driven by the tides, he wound have been bashed against the cliffs surrounding the beach. So what really happened?

“Is anyone there? I fell off my ship last night and ended up here.”  
Did he just see a flash of red duck behind those rocks?

Hak walked over and looked behind the rocks, and immediately froze.

She was pressed so far against the rocks that Hak would not have seen her if not for her vibrant red hair. The girl’s violet eyes stared unblinking up at him. A piece of purple cloth covered her chest, and a thin red dragon tattoo spiraled around her body and ended where her legs-

Wait. She had no legs.

Red scales began at her waist and formed a long fish tail. A mermaid?

“Quit staring at me!” she cried.

“Um, did you-“

“Yes, I did pull you out of the storm, now can you please get me off this beach?”

“U-um,” Hak wasn’t sure what to do with the mermaid yelling demands at him, but he figured he’d better do something to something fast. He reached down and picked up the mermaid and walked her back into the water.

“Thank you for saving me,” he said.

“You’re welcome. My name is Yona.” She pressed something into his hand, and leapt out of his arms into the ocean.

“Hey, wait!” Hak yelled, but it was too late. He looked at the object she had given him, a small blue stone. Why did she give it to him, and why had she left so suddenly?

“Hak!”

Jae-ha ran down the beach towards him and tackled Hak in a hug, soaking them both.

“Ah! Careful, Droopy Eyes, you don’t want to drown me again!”

“Oh my gods, you fell off the ship! You could’ve died! But I’m so glad you’re okay,” Jae-ha cried, “I was worried sick, we all were, but you just happened to end up here, did you swim or something?”

“Uh, yeah, I did.” Hak wasn’t sure he wanted to reveal the real reason of his rescue quite yet.

“We better get back to the ship, Gi-gan’ll be glad she didn’t lose her best fighter.”

*****

“Hey, Jae-ha, can I talk to you for a second?”

The green-haired man looked up from polishing his knives.

“Sounds serious.”

“Yeah, well, thing is, I didn’t actually manage to swim myself that far to shore,”

“I kinda figured.”

“Someone pulled me there and left me on the beach, and,” Hak laughed slightly, “call me crazy but, do you believe in mermaids?”

The knife Jae-ha was holding slipped from his fingers, and he hurriedly picked it up and stood from his seat.

“Follow me.”

Hak followed Jae-ha to the cabin that they shared as first and second mate, and they sat across from each other on their cots.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever told this to,” Jae-ha said, “and I hate keeping secrets from the captain.”

“What are you telling me?”

“… It’s a long story.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I did not mean for this to be so late. It's been, what, two months?
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy these two boys in love!

One week earlier...

Jae-ha strolled along the beach, enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean. This was his favorite pastime, other than harassing the officers of Awa and flirting with beautiful women.

Up ahead, he spotted a strange human shaped lump on the sand, and hurried over to investigate.

"I hope it's not one of the mercenaries from the ship we sank last night," he thought.

Thankfully, it wasn't. A man about his age lay face down in the sand, wearing long torn and bloody robes. Jae-ha rolled him onto his back to check for a heartbeat. It was barely there, but he was breathing slightly. His long blond hair was tangled and matted with dried blood, and his skin was dry and deathly pale. And ugly gash ran from his chest down to his stomach, and Jae-ha stripped off the man's robes to get a better look at his wounds. The man had a nice figure, but it was no time to admire it. He suddenly began to wheeze and cough as if he was suffocating.

"Water," he choked out.

"There's only salt water," Jae-ha said hurriedly, "can you stand?" He moved the man's robes away from his legs and gasped.

"Oh my gods..."

Instead of legs, the man had a beautiful blue and silver fish tail.

"Get me in the water," he rasped.

"Not in the state you're in," Jae-ha said as he picked the merman up, being careful to avoid the wound in his chest. He headed for a cave in the nearby cliffs with a deep pool of water inside. Jae-ha laid him down and the merman submerged himself, inhaling water deeply and coughing up bubbles of air. He suddenly cried out in agony when he processed the pain of salt water on his wounds.

"If you can bear being out of the water a little longer, I can patch you up, alright?"

Jae-ha helped the merman onto the shore. "I'll be back in a minute so just... Keep your head underwater." He ran to the ship and began gathering any supplies he thought were necessary. He had treated small wounds in the past, but nothing this size. He even grabbed some chonsu plant. That would help, right?

"What are you doing?"

Jae-ha squeaked and whirled around, hiding his findings behind his back and putting a wide grin on his face.

"Hak! What brings you down here?"

"You know Gi-gan's gonna be pissed if she catches you stealing, right?" Hak leaned against the door frame to block Jae-ha in.

"Me? Stealing? No! I'm just inspecting the medical supplies! Gotta keep organized, you know," he laughed uneasily. He slipped past Hak, keeping his back facing away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man."

He ran back to the cave and found the merman sitting on the edge of the pool splashing water on his arms and face. Jae-ha maneuvered him onto a towel he had spread on the ground.

"I'm going to clean your cut now, so try to relax, and you can bite this if you need to scream." He handed him a clean piece of cloth and began working. The cut was surprisingly clean, as if applied by a knife, so he hadn't been bitten by a sea creature or bashed against the rocks like Jae-ha had thought.

"You're lucky to be alive, you know that? If I hadn't found you, you would've been seagull food." The merman simply sighed and looked away. "It looks like you were slashed or something," he continued, "who would do this to such a beautiful thing like you? Well, I've met plenty of people who have wanted to kill me too. Honestly, nobody appreciates beauty anymore." The merman smiled faintly.

He was surprisingly quiet throughout this, only wincing and groaning occasionally. Jae-ha finished cleaning and stitching up his cut.

"Okay, I'm going to sit you up so I can wrap you." He reached for the merman, but he held up his hand and sat up on his own, though Jae-ha could see it hurt him. "Careful, we don't want you ruining my delicate handiwork."

Once he was finished, the merman laid back down and shut his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered.

******

Jae-ha returned the next morning with a bag of items that he thought the merman would need. He found him sitting up and gazing into the water. He looked up when Jae-ha knelt beside him.

"Good morning, I brought you a few things." He pulled a blanket, a comb, and a few fresh fish out of his bag. The merman immediately snatched up a fish and bit into it with his sharp teeth, and swallowed the bite whole. He wiped his mouth, clearly embarrassed by his bad manners, and began to take smaller bites.

"You're hungry this morning, when was the last time you had anything to eat?"

The merman thought for a second, and then answered, "about two days ago."

"Have you been washed up that long?"

"No... Well, I don't remember."

"That's alright." He stood up, "I have to get going. Need anything before I go?"

"Yes, may I have your name?"

"I'm Jae-ha, and you?"

"My name is S-" he paused, and then continued, "my name is Won."

******

Over the next few days, Jae-ha spent all of his free time with Won, learning about him and the existence of merpeople. He found out that Won was a servant to the king, and had been stabbed by bandits while on an errand. When Jae-ha mentioned that he was a pirate, Won was shocked, because pirates were known among merpeople for hunting and killing them.

"Why have you been so kind to me, if you're just going to kill me?"

"Wait, wait, we're not those kinds of pirates. You're the only merman I've ever seen, cross my heart." Jae-ha made an x over his chest.

Won looked away. "I apologize for my rudeness. Our previous queen... And king, were killed in a raid."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me. I've never killed a single person in my life; wouldn't want to dirty these hands."

Won smiled softly at his comment. Jae-ha loved making him smile. It always seemed to get rid of the small glimmer of sadness that lingered in his eyes, even just for a moment.

His healing process was going nicely, to Jae-ha's delight. He wasn't sure what he would've done if his wounds got infected. Everyone back at the ship thinks that he's out on the town wooing some pretty girl- although they were somewhat right.

He wasn't going to deny that Won was beautiful. He was also the most interesting and caring person Jae-ha had ever met, and would probably never see again, which is exactly why he shouldn't start developing feelings for him, Jae-ha thought. Besides, it's not like Won would have feelings for him anyway.

"Jae-ha?"

Won's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He blinked and brushed his green hair out of his eyes.

"Sorry, did you need something?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you wanted some of this?" Won held up one of the fish that Jae-ha had just given him for dinner.

"Won, I can't take your food-"

"No, please, I insist. You've done so much for me, now let me do something for you."

Jae-ha knew that Won needed this more than he did, but the last thing he wanted was to disappoint him. This not falling in love thing was hard.

"Alright," he said finally, "let me just grab a few things first." Jae-ha went out and gathered a few sticks, then came back and started a small fire. Won stared at it, his eyes filled with wonder.

"What is that?" He whispered.

"This, my friend, is called fire," Jae-ha explained, "I can't eat fish the way you do, they need to be cooked first."

He roasted the fish and ate it, offering a piece to Won.

"It's... different," he commented, "it doesn't taste like what I'm used to, and it's drier."

Won turned back to the fire and reached out his hand. He gasped when the flames burned his fingers, and Jae-ha laughed slightly.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention that it's pretty hot, but," he took Won's hand and pressed it against his lips, "if you want, I could kiss it better."

Won blushed as Jae-ha ran his lips over his knuckles, his blue eyes locked onto Jae-ha's amethyst ones. He lightly kissed the tips of his fingers and let his tongue flick out slightly. Won's skin was so soft, and he tasted salty, like the sea he lived in.

Suddenly, Jae-ha stopped. Dear gods, what was he thinking? He dropped Won's hand, doused the fire, and quickly stood up.

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Jae-ha wait-" Won protested, but it was too late.

Jae-ha ran back to the ship, his mind racing.

"I really need to stop doing this to myself, him as well. He must be healed by now, I don't know why I waited this long."

He fell face down on the bed in his shared room with Hak, who at the moment was asleep, and groaned loudly. Hak opened an eye.

"Trouble with your lady friend?"

"I can't fall in love Hak, I'm never gonna see him again." His voice was muffled by the pillow.

"That sucks," Hak admitted, "but maybe you should get some rest and complain about your love life in the morning."

"Mph, yeah, good night."

******

Jae-ha decided the next day to let Won return to the ocean.

After asking Yun how long it would take for someone to heal with the aid of the chonsu plant, he headed over to Won's cave. He brought a fresh robe for him, since the one Jae-ha found him in was ruined.

Won was still asleep when Jae-ha arrived, his tail resting in the water. He fingered a lock of Won's blond hair, and tried to convince himself that what he was doing was the right thing. Won probably had loved ones missing him, wondering if he was alive. Jae-ha couldn't do that to them. Why was he being so selfish?

He felt a smooth hand curl around his wrist, and noticed Won smiling up at him.

"Good morning, Jae-ha."

"Oh, good morning." He wasn't sure what to say after what happened the evening before.

"I must apologize for my behavior last night," Won said, to Jae-ha's surprise, "I seemed to have upset you."

"Won, no, you did nothing wrong. Really, it was me who got a bit carried away."

"Maybe," Won admitted , "but it was kind of... Nice."

Jae-ha licks the burns on Won's hand and he calls it nice? Again, Jae-ha was having a hard time trying to beat down his feelings. He decided to change the subject.

"I'm going to unwrap your bandages, and depending on how it looks, you may get to go home."

"Really?" Won's face was a mix of hope and disappointment.

Jae-ha helped Won sit up and started unwrapping the bandages on his torso. All that was left of his wound was a long scar. Won ran his hand down it in amazement.

"It's incredible that it managed to heal this quickly; it doesn't even hurt." He shuffled himself into the water and sank down, submerging himself and diving deep into the pool. He quickly swam back to the surface and breached, splashing Jae-ha.

"It feels great!" Won laughed, "I cannot thank you enough for saving my life."

"Thank you for coming into mine," Jae-ha whispered under his breath. Won looked up in confusion, but Jae-ha just shook his head.

"Mind if I take a dip?"

"Oh! Not at all, come on in."

Jae-ha unfastened his robe and undershirt, letting them slide slowly down his back. He untied his hair and shook it out, the strands draping over his shoulders. He didn't have to turn around to know that Won was blushing. He took off his boots and left his pants on, and entered the pool.

He sighed blissfully as he was enveloped by the cool water. He ducked underwater and Won swam up to him, his blond hair floating majestically around him. Won cupped his hands over his mouth and blew into them, and a bubble formed in his palms. He held it against Jae-ha's lips.

"Pop this in your mouth and you'll be able to breathe."

Jae-ha took it from his hand, and he could suddenly breathe again.

"Wow... How'd you do that?" Won smiled.

"Magic."

He noticed the dragon tattoo peeking out of Jae-ha's pant leg.

"What's that?"

Jae-ha swam back up and sat on the shore while Won leaned against it. He rolled up his pant leg and exposed the spiraling dragon.

"There's an old legend that our kingdom was founded by the Red Dragon King and his warriors. The white dragon had an arm that was ten times stronger than a regular man's, and could cut through anything, the blue dragon could see great distances, the green dragon had a leg that could leap great distances, and the yellow dragon had impenetrable skin. I've always related to the green dragon because... I wanted to fly away from everything. Just... Run away. That's how I ended up as a pirate. By running and never looking back."

Won was silent, but then he reached up and lightly traced the tattoo.

"I think this is amazing. I think you're amazing."

Jae-ha reached down and threaded his fingers through Won's.

"Nothing beats you, though."

Something seemed to be pulling them together as Jae-ha gently cupped Won's face. Their lips were inches apart and getting closer... Closer...

"Wait."

Jae-ha's eyes snapped open as Won spoke. He hadn't even realized that he closed them.

"Before we go any further, I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything."

"I..." he hesitated, "I lied to you Jae-ha. I didn't know if I could trust you when I met you, but I know now that I can." He straightened himself out. "My real name is Soo-won, and I am King of the Oceanic Kingdom of Kouka. I'm sorry I had to deceive you like this."

Jae-ha was speechless. He had fallen in love with the mer king? Won, no, Soo-won, was the mer king?

"... Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't sure that I could trust you, and then I kept this up because I didn't want you to change the way you think about me-"

He was immediately cut off when Jae-ha crashed his lips against Soo-won's. He gasped at the sudden contact, but closed his eyes. Jae-ha broke off the kiss and brushed Soo-won's hair out of his face.

"Nothing will change the way I feel about you," he whispered, "may I kiss you again?"

Soo-won smiled, "I don't see why not."

Jae-ha slid back into the water and kissed him again, backing him up against the wall of the pool. His hands explored Soo-won's chest, trailing down his scar. The merman curled his tail around Jae-ha's legs and tangled his fingers in his long green hair. They both had no intention of letting go any time soon.

"I'll stay with you tonight, and you can tell me everything," Jae-ha said between kisses.

They laid together in the dark that night, this time with Soo-won telling him about his real life as king. It seemed that the merpeople had a legend similar to Jae-ha's story, but their warriors were real. His cousin was the red dragon, and he was very proud of her. He told him about his grim advisor and grumpy generals, and besting the strongest one in a mock battle during a festival.

Soo-won even told him about the real reason he washed up on the beach.

"One of my generals betrayed me. He set me adrift to die. I don't know what he's planning now, but I must return to my kingdom as soon as possible. I'm sorry that I have to leave you, Jae-ha."

"I understand, Soo-won. I'm going to miss you, though."

"I know you will. If you'll allow me, there's something I must give to you."

Soo-won leaned down and slipped Jae-ha's boot off his right foot. He laid his hand on the tattoo, and it suddenly began to glow green. The light traveled up the dragon, and his leg burned. He gasped as the light sank into his flesh. Whatever Soo-won had just done to him, it felt amazing.

"What did you do to me?"

"I gave you the power of the Green Dragon. I want you to fly."

"By the gods..." Jae-ha ran his hand over his leg and could feel the slight texture of scales on the tattoo. He hugged Soo-won close to him. "I don't know how to thank you."

The merman nestled closer. "You don't have to."

*****

The morning light flooding the cave woke Jae-ha from his slumber. Soo-won was still asleep in his arms, a peaceful expression on his face. He wanted to stay like this as long as possible, though he knew Soo-won would have to leave him.

He felt the merman stir, and lightly kissed his forehead.

"Good morning, Your Majesty."

Soo-won smiled. "You don't have to call me that."

"Are you ready to go?"

He nodded, and Jae-ha picked him up and walked out of the cave. He waded waist deep in the ocean, and they shared a kiss.

"I'll return to you once everything is sorted out."

"I know you'll be able to do it. I... I love you, Soo-won."

"I love you too, Jae-ha."

They kissed one last time, and Soo-won slipped something into Jae-ha's pocket before leaping out of his arms and into the ocean. Jae-ha watched him swim away, and saw him jump before diving down. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out...

"...A gray pearl." Jae-ha handed the pearl over to Hak to inspect. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the blue stone that Yona had given him, which he wore around his neck.

"So she's his cousin?"

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe next time he comes around he could bring her."

"Is this also the reason you were disappearing all last week?"

"Not visiting a lady friend like everyone thought."

"I guess this also explains why you've been jumping around all week."

"All part of being the Green Dragon."

Hak leaned back and contemplated everything he had just heard.

"You guys really love each other, huh?"

"More than anything."

"And this is also gonna sound crazy to everyone else."

"You're the only one I've told, and I'm assuming I'm the only one you've told." Jae-ha grinned. "Guess this is our secret."

"Yes, but it's only a matter of time," Hak said, " you didn't say anything when you were drunk last night, right?"

"Oh please, I have more control than that!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> The next one won't be so late!
> 
> My Tumblr is phantomhydeoftheopera if you want to talk!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...It's been a while, hasn't it?  
>  Writers block is the worst.  
> But! I powered through this week because of the blizzard, and I got it up in time for Soo-won's birthday!  
> Enjoy the final installment of Tails at Sea!

"Jae-ha, up!"

Jae-ha leapt high in the air to avoid the sweep of Hak's guandao as it knocked their opponents off the ship. He threw his knives and pinned the rest to the deck.

"Was that all of them?" He called out after landing lightly on deck.

"Yeah, let's sink it and move on the the next ship." Hak ran below deck and chopped a hole in the hull, then came back up and he and Jae-ha jumped to the next ship.

They had been fighting all night, risking life and limb to defeat Yang Kumji's mercenary army, and free the kidnapped women. The crew was currently trying to locate the ship holding the prisoners, and Hak and Jae-ha were bringing down any ships that didn't have them.

"What do you think, Hak, will we get lucky this time?"

"Maybe so. You don't suppose one of these low-lives know where they are, do you?"

"Let's find out." Jae-ha blocked an attack and kicked the man down, placing his foot on his chest. "Would you mind telling me where our damsels in distress are?" The man spat in his face. Jae-ha pressed down harder on his chest. "Want to try again?"

"Fine, fine! They're in the third one down."

"There, that wasn't so hard!" Jae-ha dragged him to the side and tossed the man into the ocean. "That'll teach you not to ruin my beautiful face!"

"Save it for your boyfriend, Droopy-eyes! Check out that ship!"

"On it!"

Jae-ha launched himself up into the air and flew over the other two ships, landing neatly on top of one of the mercenaries. He cleared the deck and checked the cargo hold.

"Well, it seems he wasn't lying after all."

About two dozen terrified women were kneeling with their wrists bound and blindfolded. A few of them looked up at the unexpected intrusion. He untied them.

"It's all right, we're bringing the ship back to port and you'll be free soon."

"Who are you?"

"Just your typical, handsome pirate. Now free the rest of them. We'll be home in no time."

Jae-ha went back to the deck and lit up the flare that signaled which ship to bring back to port. A few of the pirates came over, and Jae-ha started giving orders.

"Sail back to Awa, don't engage unless you're attacked. Hak and the rest of us will take care of the rest of the ships. I'll go after Ku- Ah!"

He screamed as pain suddenly flared up from his left shoulder, and fell to the deck. He felt around and found an arrow protruding from his body. Another flew towards his crew but Hak swiped it out of the way. Jae-ha shakily stood up and saw a rowboat in the water with a large figure standing in it. With a roar Jae-ha leapt off the ship and drew his knives. Kum-ji attempted to shoot him down, but he missed. Jae-ha threw his weapons and they found their marks on his chest.

Kum-ji gasped in shock, and weakly tried to pull out the knives penetrating his heart. Jae-ha landed in front of him and stabbed him again. This time, Kum-ji's hand fell limp and he toppled over into the sea.

Jae-ha fell to his knees, his adrenaline rush wearing off and because the pain in his shoulder was becoming too much to bear. He felt someone pull him back into the ship and lay him down. Yoon came over and started cleaning his wound, but he barely noticed. It was over. Awa was safe now.

*****

He woke up sometime later in the sick bay of the pirate ship. Yoon was treating another patient a few feet away, and Jae-ha tried to sit up but his shoulder throbbed. He groaned in pain.

"Hey! Who told you to get up?"

Yoon carefully laid the green haired man back on the cot and checked the bandages he had put on while Jae-ha was unconscious.

"The wound isn't so bad, but with all this fighting you've been doing you're exhausted. Get some rest."

"Yes, mom," Jae-ha mumbled before passing out again.

The second time he woke up Captain Gi-gan was sitting at the foot of his bed, smoking her pipe. He smiled weakly.

"Morning Captain,"

"It's evening now, you've been out for over a day," she corrected. "How are you feeling?"

"Why Captain, it almost sounds like you're worried about me."

She took a long drag and exhaled slowly.

"I'm always worried about you boys. Hell, I'll still be worried."

"Then why disband us? Why not keep us together as your family? There are other towns that would need us, we could help them."

"Our mission was to protect the people of Awa, and we've completed it. I've kept my crew from their lives, from their families, long enough. They don't deserve the life of a fugitive or a murderer."

Jae-ha looked away. What he did... Sure, it was for the good of the town, but was it really right?

"Captain... Did I make a mistake by killing him?"

"That guilt is hard to recover from, and I tried my best to keep you boys from it. But if you hadn't done that, we all would have perished and Awa would be lost."

He thought back to Soo-won. It seemed that they were going through similar struggles; Soo-won was fighting to take back his kingdom, and Jae-ha had saved his home from a tyrant.

"I understand, Captain."

She gave him a rare smile.

"Good. Now, are you and Hak sticking around town, or scattering? With a leg like that you could go anywhere."

"No, I think we both have a reason to stay."

"Why is that?"

"Hear me out... Do you believe in mermaids?"

******

A few days later Yoon declared him well enough to get out of bed. His shoulder was still wrapped up, but he wasn't in pain like the other day.

It was also the day Captain Gi-gan announced that she was disbanding the crew, since she waited for everyone to heal and rest up. No use having one last drink together if everyone was confined to their beds.

The entire town was in attendance, celebrating their freedom. Yoon served up his best sea food dishes, which were highly praised by all, and again there was no shortage of alcohol.

Jae-ha chatted amiably with whoever he passed, and was beginning to feel a little tipsy. Hak was nursing a cup and staring out at sea, but Jae-ha pulled him back towards the crowd.

"Okay, no more brooding for you. There's absolutely no way you're sitting out of this one, you'll never get a chance like this again!"

"I was just about to, Droopy-eyes, I thought I saw something out there."

"Whatever it is you can always find it later, now come on! Don't waste a perfectly good evening!"

As he was about to turn back, something out at sea jumped. It appeared to be too small to be a whale, and too large to be any of the fish found around Awa. From a distance it looked vaguely humanoid. "Here, wait a minute, I think I see something."

"Told you."

It jumped again, and Jae-ha got a better look. He caught a glimpse of blond hair shining in the sunlight, and glinting scales.

"Is that...?"

A head poked out of the water, closer to shore, and called his name. Jae-ha shoved his cup into Hak's hands and sprinted into the sea. He picked Soo-won up and spun him around, both laughing and crying happily, and kissed him.

"I told you I'd be back when I reclaimed my kingdom, and I did it, Jae-ha, everything's alright," the merman whispered between kisses, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Soo-won, I'm glad you're okay."

Soo-won turned away and looked back out at sea.

"I brought somebody that your friend might like to see again." A girl with red hair appeared a few feet away.

Jae-ha came back out of the water and went over to Hak, who looked amused.

"So this is the boyfriend I've heard so much about?"

"Hak! Don't be mean! Soo-won, this is my best friend, Hak. Hak, this is my lovely boyfriend, Soo-won."

"Pleased to meet you, Hak. My cousin came with me, I believe you know each other?"

"I might have to go say hi. Nice meeting you, Soo-won."

Hak left to find Yona, and Jae-ha went to introduce Soo-won to other people.

"Here, you should meet the captain!"

Meanwhile, Hak sat in the shallows next to Yona. He showed her the pendant he made from the stone, which pleased her. They didn't have as deep a relationship as Jae-ha and Soo-won, but something seemed to be forming.

"You think you could give me dragon powers too?"

Yona smiled. "If I could, you would be my dark dragon."

A few hours after sunset the party was winding down. Most of the citizens had gone home, the rest lingering on the beach with the passed out drunkards and former pirates. The crew members agreed to sleep under the stars one last time before going their separate ways.

Jae-ha was sitting in the surf playing a soothing tune on his ehru with Soo-won resting against his shoulder. The merman combed his fingers through Jae-ha's green locks, and Jae-ha would occasionally turn and press his lips against Soo-won's forehead. They felt as if they could remain this happy forever, always at each other's side.

A new tale was passed around Awa, of the pirate who loved the merman, and the other who fell in love with the Dragon Queen. It was a tale at sea no one would forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's a wrap! I really enjoyed writing this! Feel free to leave kudos and/or a comment! My Tumblr is @phantomhydeoftheopera of you want to talk!

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter should be out soon! My tumblr is Phantomhydeoftheopera if you want to talk!


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